Marine Data Acquisition, Modeling and Prediction
IBK BUSINESS SOLUTION LLPKnowledge Partner
Predictive modeling of fish availability in the northern Bay of Bengal
A collaborative endeavor between IBK Business Solutions LLP and Jadavpur University, School of Oceanographic Studies
Technical Partner
Background
Fishery resource in the northern Bay of Bengal adjacent to the world’s largest mangrove forest ofbSundarban has served as a means of livelihood for millions of people in the coastal belt of West Bengal, India. However, climate change and a plethora of anthropogenic activities have introduced an alarming degree of uncertainty in the open fisheries sector of this region. Fisher communities involved in this business have recently observed that fish availability has declined over the past few decades, making offshore fishing endeavors less profitable and unsustainable at the same time. Given this scenario which is worsening day by day, IBK Bussiness Solutions (a startup company set up by sons of the soil from the Kashinagar-Raidighi area), in collaboration with the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, is planning to launch a real-time fishery prediction model that can be helpful for the deep sea fisher community and foster the economic growth of the local populace.
Conceptual model
This collaborative endeavor would study the data of sea surface, climatic conditions at different nautical miles, water quality at different distances from the seashore, temperature at different depths of the seawater, seafloor topography, phytoplankton types, fish/ocean animal movement patterns, seasonal patterns of aquatic flora and fauna engaging the local communities while they are off fishing. The data acquired through sonar, underwater cameras, and several other instruments like weather stations and physicochemical probes would be transmitted to a nearby center on the coast, where a set of skilled professionals would process the data and model them to predict the fish availability in real time. Such a data set would help the local community and generate a rich oceanographic data set that can help in future coastal research and developmental studies. Protecting the sea/environment would help get an equivalent amount of environmental credit from the perspective of the Blue Ocean concept. Fully grant-driven research often can not sustain a prolonged and widespread study. The involvement of local people is inevitable for many in-depth studies wherein academia would play a facilitator role. A meaningful business model would help keep the morale and enthusiasm of the local people for a long-drawn-out period. A startup business house can frontend the initiative by improving livelihood, which is under serious threat at the coastal belt of the Bay of Bengal. If this pilot study becomes successful, the same approach can be initiated among other offshore fishing communities in the periphery of the Indian coastal line.